2003 Mitsubishi Outlander Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Outlander years
- Far more complaints than other years 4th of 23 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 6 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 116 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Mitsubishi Outlander. That ranks 4th out of 23 Outlander model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is suspension (28 complaints, 24%), typically at around 74,692 miles. Complaints mention 10 crashes, 2 fires, 8 injuries. There are 6 safety recalls covering this model year.
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- 116owner complaints
- 6safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 10complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2003 Mitsubishi Outlander problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 28 | 24% | 74,692 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 19 | 16% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 14 | 12% | 8,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 13 | 11% | 62,250 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 9 | 8% | 76,100 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 8 | 7% | 82,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 6 | 5% | 97,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 6 | 5% | 76,100 | — | — |
| Visibility | 6 | 5% | 88,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 5 | 4% | 82,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 5 | 4% | 12,448 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 5 | 4% | 103,700 | — | — |
| Equipment | 4 | 3% | 62,113 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 4 | 3% | 63,363 | — | — |
| Engine | 3 | 3% | 66,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 3 | 3% | 125,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 3% | 135,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 2% | 21,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 2% | 100 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 1% | 35,500 | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2003 Mitsubishi Outlander recalls (6)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Suspension:front:control arm:lower arm
Problem: Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain model year 2002-2007 Lancer, 2004 Lancer Wagon, 2003-2006 Lancer Evolution, 2003-2006 Outlander and 2007-2013 Outlander V-6 vehicles originally sold in, or ever registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. In the affected vehicles, the front lower control arms may detach due to the front cross member corroding from salt water exposure such as from road salt use.
Risk: A detached front control arm can result in the loss of control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front cross members. Depending on the level of existing corrosion, either a sealing/anti-corrosion agent will be applied or the front cross member will be replaced with a new one that has a sealing/anti-corrosion agent applied to it. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began January 2017. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-16-003.
Equipment:other:labels
Problem: Certain passenger vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 208, 'occupant crash protection.' the bilingual english/spanish removable air bag warning labels affixed to the dash and to the sunvisor do not meet the size requirements of the standard.
Risk: This does not meet the requirements of the standard.
Fix: Mitsubishi caribbean will mail a customer notification letter containing a written description and a graphic of the bi-lingual dashboard air bag warning label. In addition, all current 2000-2004 nativa owners will also receive replacement air bag alert labels for the sun visors. This recall is expected to begin during march or april 2005. The notification to the nativa owners is expected to begin during april or may 2005. Owners should contact mitsubishi caribbean at 1-787-251-8715.
Trailer hitches
Problem: Certain sport utility vehicles may have been equipped with dealer-installed trailer hitch wiring harness and control module. The electronic control module can overheat.
Risk: Overheating of the trailer hitch wiring harness module could result in a fire.
Fix: Owners are being requested to stop using the harness until a newly designed replacement is provided and can be installed by the dealer. The recall began on may 28, 2004. Owners should contact mitsubishi at 1-888-648-7820.
Equipment:other:owners/service/other manual
Problem: Certain sport utility and passenger vehicles fail to comply with federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 225, "child restraint anchorage systems." the owner's manual does not contain a step-by-step description for headrest adjustment when installing a child restraint system (crs) tether strap.
Risk: If the tether strap is improperly installed to the tether anchor, the child safety seat may not be sufficient restrained. In the event of a crash, the child could be injured.
Fix: A letter outlining the problem will be sent to owners along with a sticker containing the correct instructions as well as instructions on where to affix the sticker in the owner's manual. The recall began on march 29, 2004. Owners should contact mitsubishi at 1-888-648-7820.
Electrical system:wiring:interior/under dash
Problem: On certain sport utility vehicles, water could enter the front floorboard area from openings in the side sill or upper dash area. This water could collect under the seat and cause electrical corrosion to occur in the harness connectors that contain the wiring for the seat belt pre-tensioner, side air bag impact sensor, and stop lamps.
Risk: Electrical corrosion of the harness could cause the seat belt pre-tensioner to malfunction, the side air bag not to deploy and/or the brake lamps not to illuminate or to falsely illuminate.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the side sills and dash panel for openings that may allow water leakage into the vehicle cabin. In addition to sealing any openings that may be found, the wiring connectors will be inspected for signs of electrical corrosion. The floor harness will be replaced if it has any signs of water damage or electrical corrosion. Owner notification began june 23, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact mitsubishi america at 1-800-222-0037 or mitsubishi caribbean at 1-787-251-8715.
Vehicle speed control
Problem: On certain sport utility vehicles, during extremely low temperature conditions, ice can build up inside the engine throttle valve. This ice build-up could cause the accelerator pedal to stick or not to return to idle after accelerating.
Risk: Failure to return to idle could result in a vehicle crash without warning.
Fix: Dealers will reprogram the engine control computer to eliminate this condition. Owner notification began on january 29, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact mitsubishi at 1-800-222-0037.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2003 Mitsubishi Outlander. The contact stated while driving at approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle came to an immediate stop and did not return to normal operation. The contact noticed that the front control arm had detached. No warning light was illuminated. The contact researched…
HVAC temperature control knob is hard to turn, it broke off.
Rear control arms are rusted through, there was a recall for the front and had the repairs done. The front control arm recall was due to poor rust proofing during manufacturing. The rear has the same problem. Cannot realign rear wheels and rear sway bar bracket broke free entirely. Vehicle is now…
CAR TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP, ANDERSON MITSUBISHI, [redacted]), JANUARY 2017, FOR NHTSA RECALL 16V458. CROSSMEMBER NOT REPLACED OR RUST TREATED. CROSSMEMBER FAILED 4-20-2019. REPAIRED AT MY EXPENSE $2161.70. MADE CLAIM FOR REIMBURSEMENT THROUGH MITSUBISHI DEALER AND MITSUBISHI OF NORTH AMERICA. HAVE A…
Tl* the contact owned a 2003 mitsubishi outlander. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph, the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed while attempting to avoid colliding with a deer. During the crash, the vehicle had rolled over and the driver was knocked unconscious…
Other Mitsubishi Outlander years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Outlander | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 Outlander | 15 | 1 |
| 2024 Outlander | 26 | 1 |
| 2023 Outlander | 49 | 2 |
| 2022 Outlander | 216 | 7 |
| 2020 Outlander | 31 | 3 |
| 2019 Outlander | 29 | 5 |
| 2018 Outlander | 57 | 6 |
| 2017 Outlander | 51 | 6 |
| 2016 Outlander | 145 | 8 |
| 2015 Outlander | 53 | 5 |
| 2014 Outlander | 45 | 4 |
| 2013 Outlander | 26 | 5 |
| 2012 Outlander | 22 | 6 |
| 2011 Outlander | 58 | 8 |
| 2010 Outlander | 60 | 10 |
| 2009 Outlander | 46 | 13 |
| 2008 Outlander | 58 | 12 |
| 2007 Outlander | 125 | 9 |
| 2006 Outlander | 21 | 1 |
| 2005 Outlander | 19 | 1 |
| 2004 Outlander | 52 | 4 |
| 2003 | 116 | 6 |
See all Mitsubishi Outlander problems by year, every Mitsubishi model, or the Mitsubishi VIN decoder.
Similar Mitsubishi models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Mitsubishi Outlander?
Owners most often report suspension, exterior lighting, steering problems. The top one, suspension, accounts for 28 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Mitsubishi Outlander?
Yes, 6 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2003 Mitsubishi Outlander a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Outlander model years, the 2003 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.